Where Is My Mind?
by czarkova
Summary: Armada/G1 crossover with slight alterations. While fighting the battle with Unicron, members of the Armada gang caught in his laser fire are hurtled into another dimension instead of facing deactivation. Rated for violence and dark material. EDITED & UPDATED, some changes in chapter content.
1. Intro

Summary: Armada/G1 crossover with slight alterations. While fighting the battle with Unicron, members of the Armada gang caught in his laser fire are hurtled into another dimension instead of facing deactivation. Redalert, Megatron, and Scaleblade (OC) must figure out how to cope in a new world where their previous battle merits hold no rank, the Decepticons want their technology and them dead, and the Autobots don't believe their tales of another world. Will they make it home or are they truly dead and this is their hell?

OC Scaleblade bio can be found through my deviant art profile. She is mine, Skullgenocide is a friend's. And I don't know Transformers.

Enjoy and please review and critique!

* * *

><p>"EVERYBODY GET DOW-"<p>

Explosions rocked the ground cutting off Skullgenocide in mid-sentence. The force of the impact rattled him painfully to the core and back again. In what seemed like an eternity he was thrown to the ground face first, limbs tumbling end over end, before skidding to a halt in a twisted heap some feet away. Smoke, fire and debris flooded the air, suffocating in every way possible. Those around him choked on the thick substance and some on their own energon. He shoved his hands under him ignoring the pain flooding his sensors and shoved upwards. Aftershocks and explosions in the distance continued to rumble all around in a deafening performance. Grasping for purchase on a nearby ledge, Skullgenocide hoisted himself upright and too his peds using anything he could for support.

As the resounding thunder began to die down, the horrible sounds of war came flooding back to reality. Mechs coughed and spat, moaned and creaked with the straining of joints. In the not too far distance, gunfire and screaming reigned supreme.

Skullgenocide spat out energon and a few dente along with it. Landing on your face wasn't a good idea. He grimaced. "-gotta be fucking kidding me." He winced at his own use of the alien language while he surveyed the damage with his glossa. Grabbing his jaw and setting it straight with an audible crack, he straightened himself out and took in the damage around him. "Alright. Who's dead?"

"Your humor never ceases to amaze. This is not a joking matter, Decepticon." Blurr seethed. In response to Skullgenocide's question, a few mumbled coherent responses, while more could only respond in a forced grunt or growl.

He looked around and did another sweep of the mechs around him. Everything seemed fine. As he turned to survey the route back to the ships ahead of him, something caught the corners of his optic. And it was something he would wish later to have never seen. His spark seized and froze.

Standing a few meters off was Scaleblade, shell-shocked, covered in energon from all but head to toe.

Forcing himself out of his stupor he pushed his legs to run towards his comrade, cursing his peds for not sending him farther faster and screaming at the top of his vocal processors. "MEDIC!"

As if on cue to Skullgenocide's cry, Scaleblade's knees gave way, sending her crashing to the ground. Hearing the call, Redalert turned and ran in the same direction without a second thought as his medical programing kicked in full gear, throwing his self to the ground beside Scaleblade and immediately attempting to stop the bleeding. Skullgenocide's voice drew the attention of everyone else who began to shuffle around to see what the commotion was over.

Scaleblade coughed and choked as energon began to fill her cycling units and pour out of her mouth. A wound that almost ran completely though her to the other side danced along the length of her torso. Red Alert worked feverishly to stop the bleeding and used his hands to clamp down on the open lines. The smell of burnt wiring and circuits was nauseating but he refused to relent. Scaleblade sputtered, chest heaving in dismay and panic as her systems screamed in agony. Bombs landed nearby that shook the ground and caused Red Alert to lose his hold on her lines. Energon spurted and covered his frame as he made his hand fly back inside of the gaping hole in her chassis to clamp back down on the severed lines.

Red Alert stalled when he felt someone grab his wrist. Scaleblade stared him in the optic.

"You're kidding yourself if you think I'm going to just walk away." Red Alert's voice wavered slightly but he kept his expression stern. Not once had he ever given up on a patient and he sure as krell wasn't going to start now. She tightened her grip on his wrist and gave Red a very uncharacteristic, pleading look before glaring viciously at him.

"L-kchh-leave m-me Autobot," she heaved in a static induced mumble.

"No. Don't even try to pull that on me. I'm not leaving. Hold tight you're going to be fine-"

"RED!"

And that was all the notice he had before himself and Scaleblade were engulfed in hot laser fire and ripped through them, only leaving a crater to mark where their bodies had once been.

* * *

><p>Sometimes Prowl could be a real prick.<p>

Sideswipe frowned. He hadn't exactly broken any rules. Well just bend a few slightly askew. Okay maybe he did pull some illegal moves, but they were all for a good cause right? Air rushed out of his vents as he sighed, frowning. Prowl had been way too overly strict. What was it he said? 'Good motives didn't matter if you used underhanded moves to accomplish your goals. Or else what makes us any better than the Decepticonsblahblahblah.' Sideswipe rolled his optics. Prowl could speech all he wanted but when it came down to it he was just pissed that he got burned.

And thus Sideswipe was stuck with his third patrol shift that day.

Making for his rounds for the third time was driving him absolutely insane. Not only had Prowl stuck him on all the shifts for that day, but made sure he stuck him on the most boring, pointless, and most devoid of all life route he had ever laid his optics on. He couldn't even listen to any good music as his radio had been blocked as he could 'spend the day thinking about what he had done."

Prick.

Sideswipe rounded another corner in the dusty terrain and grimaced as rocks pinged up against his undercarriage. Prowl really didn't know him well at all if he thought this was proper punishment to turn his thought processes around. He wasn't contemplating his wrongs as he drove. He was carefully mulling over ways to get back at Prowl for this absurd punishment. When he got back to base he was totally hunting down Sunny and- what was that?

Sideswipe slowed to a rolling stop, staring at the sky. It was nearing evening now and stars had begun to dot the sky. But that certainly wasn't what had his attention. Those lights… collisions of charged particles directed by the Earth's magnetic field. Humans had a fancy name for them. Something with an A. Sideswiped frowned at not being able to remember the silly human name and looked back up to the sky. Wasn't he out of range to see those things? Not to mention it was hardly dark out. Yet there they were dancing in the sky in a perfect circle. Sideswipe stalled and transformed before recalculating what he saw in the sky. It was a perfect circle. That certainly wasn't normal.

_**-**__Hey Prowl. I've got something you should see_.**-**

_-Sideswipe. If it's your own reflection again I am highly unamused.-_

Sideswipe made a face. _-__Oh hah very funny. No seriously. There's something going on in the sky you gotta check out. I'll patch in a feed to you in a click.-_

**-**_Is it Decepticon related?-_

_-How the slag am I supposed to know?_**- **Sideswipe shifted his weight as he looked at the sky feeling suddenly very uneasy.

_-Well I figured that since you have been thinking like one lately you might be able to catch onto their schemes.-_

_-Hey now. That is uncalled for. Alright I'm patching the pics through n- what the frag PROWL.-_Sideswipe's panicked voice ripped through the communicator.

_-Sideswipe.-_

Sideswipe raised an arm to shield his optics as the lights in the sky intensified before completely whiting out the sky with a rolling electrostatic boom. Purple lightning rippled across the sky centering in the middle of the swirling circle. And then it _opened._

**-**_Sideswipe come in.-_

_-Uhh Prowl.-_

_-Affirmative.-_

_-Get your aft down here. And ya might want to bring the whole gang.-_

* * *

><p>To be continued.<p> 


	2. When You Go Chasing Rabbits

This was definitely not how Ratchet wanted to finish his day. It had been uneventful enough, even though he had to clean up after Sideswipe's endeavor, but he had hoped he could ride out the rest of the day smooth sailing and possibly even catch a decent recharge for once. But no, his days always had to go out with a bang. Ratchet vented heavily as he looked at his new charges. They were stable for now. All it took was a heavy 16 hour session. Normally he would have finished much sooner, but this… this was different.

"How is everything?"

Ratchet vented again at the inquisitive, but gentle voice of Optimus Prime. He hadn't left once since the two had been brought in.

"They're stable… I guess. At least I think they are. I don't know. It's really hard to say. I've never seen anything like this before. I'm not sure what to make of it or how to work around it." Ratchet made his way over to his charges and stared at them mournfully. "I've never seen technology like this. It's obviously Cybertronian, but not like you and I. The schematics are completely off. Systems I've never seen before. And the _alloys_. By primus I've never seen anything like it."

While trying to stabilize the mech, Ratchet had tried to saw off pieces of his chest plating to get to his vitals, which only resulted in the now _very_ broken medical saw sitting some feet away. In the end he had been able wrench back and pry off the armor, but Ratchet found himself thanking Primus despite himself that the femme's vitals were practically hanging out of her torso so he didn't have to do it again. Krell this was all a fine mess.

When he and the rest had arrived to Sideswipes coordinates, the Lamborghini was already trying to do what he could to stabilize the newcomers. Sideswipe had been going on and on about how they had just fallen from the sky from what looked like a warp gate or something of the like. The mech, who upon further inspection of his systems and alt mode seemed to be of medical background himself, looked like he had received one hell of a beating. His armor was dented, melted, and charred to a crisp. When he had landed, from what Ratchet could assume, the force of the impact shattered the mech's lower right leg and displaced his hip socket. The heat from whatever had charred and fused his armor together had singed his circuitry and sent his vital systems into a shock as well. The femme was in just about the same condition as him, except she looked like she had taken a shot from Megaton's fusion cannon straight to the chest before it all. It had been pure krell trying to stabilize the two where they had landed but luckily the base wasn't too far confusion had rocket Ratchet the most. With their systems being so different from his own, it had been like taking millions of vorns of medical training and throwing it out the window.

Ratchet looked on at his patients. Their internals were bare in the open but there was nothing he could do to resolve that issue. Only a twisted hunk of metal was left of what resembled the mech's chest plating and the femme simply hadn't had anything even remotely salvageable.

"Experiments?" Optimus offered.

"I doubt it. If they were they would have some sort of relation to our systems. At least I would think so. But if Sideswipe says they came out of a spacebridge, that would definitely implicate the Decepticons none the less."

"Do you think they're Decepticons?" Optimus inquired.

"No. He had Autobot markings on him. And the Decepticons don't recruit femmes. So he is definitely one of us and I would gather she is too unless she's neutral. But even at that… none of this makes sense. Why would they're systems be different than ours?"

Optimus nodded as he digested Ratchet's information, at a loss for words himself. He wasn't entirely sure what to do. Teletran 1 had no record of these two in the databases based off of their facial scans. But if Ratchet deduced that they were Autobots then he would trust him on that. And any mech or femme in peril was welcome to sanctuary under his watch. "How long until you can bring them off of the sedatives?"

"That is entirely up to them and how their systems react to all of this. I'm shocked that they didn't reject the medication. I can't see it being fairly soon though."

"Alright. Keep me posted will you? I need to debrief Redalert before he breaks down the bay doors himself." Optimus stated, both him and Ratchet completely oblivious to the fingers that twitched against the medical berth at the sound of that name.

* * *

><p>Next chapter up soon!<p> 


	3. Hookah Smoking Caterpillar

The darkness was overwhelming. The pain even more so. Redalert tried to push his systems into startup but was always pushed back into stasis by his emergency core. He needed to online. They needed him. Redalert pushed again, seething in agony as he tried to breach the surface again. Just when he thought he had it again, he was plunged back into the dark and nothingness overtook him.

* * *

><p>It had only been a week and the mech had made a few drifts in and out on consciousness. Ratchet was surprised. He had fully expected it to take much longer or for it to not happen at all. The femme was still in the same catatonic state, her neural readings hadn't changed and she was completely unresponsive. He hoped that if he could get the mech at least someway functional that he would be able to help stabilize the femme more than he already had. Ratchet had been able to make a mold off of the mech's old chest armor and create something that could cover him. It wasn't of the same magnitude and certainly didn't have the same strength as the previous but it would do to keep the mechs temperatures stabilized. He had been hesitant to do the same for the femme since he didn't want anything inhibiting his access in case she went into shock <em>again<em>. She had a lot more damage in her chest cavity and any hints of previous armor had been nonexistent. For now she remained wrapped in thermal blanketing to prevent her core temperatures from dropping any more than they already had.

Ratchet sat with his brow furrowed as he studied the schematics he was able to piece together of the scans he had taken of his two patients. There was just so much of it all. He couldn't make sense of it. Why in the krell was _that_ even needed? And what function did _that_ _circuitry have?_

"Nnnghh."

Ratchet was brought out of his rampant trains of thought by a muffled groan across the medbay. He jumped up out of his chair, sending it toppling over, and ran almost tripping over his of peds over to the nameless mech that lay on one of the medical berth. The mech in question vented a hiss of air but seemed to be in stasis other than that. Ratchet felt his spark pounding rapidly in his chest and cursed himself. Now he was just being silly. That mech wasn't coming online for a very long time. He sighed and began to make his way over to his abandoned desk when he felt his lines freeze.

"W-… sskkss..where."

Ratchet whipped around and stared at the mech with optics as wide as they could possibly get. The mech repeated himself as his visor onlined, flickering, in a deathly dim shade of blue.

"Where-sskkssh…guhhh." He said again as his vocal processors laced with static.

Ratchet forced himself to overcome his shock and slowly let himself become visible in the mechs range of vision in an attempt not to startle him.

"…safe. You're somewhere safe."

_-Optimus get down here now.-_Ratchet transmitted inaudibly.

_-On my way.-_

The mech made a sound of acknowledgement before venting air again in attempt to cool the pain flooding his neural nets and systems. Ratchet moved a little closer and began to check the monitors hooked into what he had guessed was the mech's vitals before turning his full attention to his patient.

"What's your name soldier?" He inquired. The only response he received was a grunt of pain and another hiss of air. He frowned and rested a hand on the mech's shoulder. "It's okay. Take your time."

The mech grimaced in pain and ground his dente together as he tried to push past the agony. Ratchet tried another question. "Your systems are a bit different than mine. What is a better pain-relief compound for you?"

The mech's visor continued to flicker as he ground out, "Poly…nitrozyno… 49."

Ratchet's optic ridge quirked upward. Uh. What? "I'm sorry I don't follow. I've never heard of that compound before-"

"Polynitrozyno 49." The mech ground out for forcefully, irritation and pain obvious in his vocalization. "Composed of BE-…342… EU-12… IR-09878… and RA-76."

Ratchet stared at him blankly as he filed away what the mech had just rattled off. "Right. I'll get that right away for you," he bluffed. "Can you tell me your name now soldier?"

"…Redalert. Identification code 0367-9812-88012-0095….I am… a medic."

The mech was met with another blank stare as Ratchet tried to take in what he had just heard. "Can you tell me your name again soldier."

"Redalert…"

Ratchet nodded and stood back slightly. This mech was a lot more damaged than he let on. Cybertronian names were never repeatedly given unless it was to honor fallen lineage. Apparently there was serious neural damage that he had not been able to come across due to the scientific gap in their bodies. This mech didn't even know his own name. "Alright Redalert. Before I get you your sedatives, can you tell me who that is?" Ratchet questioned as he motioned to the berth some feet away from the one he was currently standing over that was occupied by the femme.

'Redalert' turned his head with a groan and stared as his visor fought to focus on the berth next to him. Ratchet silently cursed at Optimus for not getting there faster.

As Redalert's visor completely focused in on the transformer next to him, he began to panic and fight to sit upright to Ratchet's dismay.

"Woah take it easy. You're not going anywhere. I need you to calm down and relax." Ratchet gently nudged at the mech's shoulders to coax him to lie back down.

"S-skkkkshh- Scale..blade. …My patient. I need- skkk to help."

"You need to rest, understand? We will get to fixing her but first I need your help in mapping out your systems for me so I can repair you. Then once you are running efficiently, we will repair the femme, er… Scaleblade, together. Alright? I've done as much as I can on my own, I need your help but only once you're fully functional." Ratchet insisted.

Redalert resigned in pained defeat at the loss of an argument and at the unwanted abandoning of a patient. But he ultimately knew he was in no condition himself to take on any work. The pain shooting through his body was so intense it was making his vision haze over. It was then that Optimus finally made his arrival while simultaneously shooing others away from the medbay doors. Curiosity over the newcomers hadn't died down since their arrival.

"Optimus thank goodness you're-"

Redalert began to attempt to upright himself again while Ratchet resorted to pushing him back down a second time. "Skkk- Optimus- skkkhh-"

Optimus approached the medical berths and pinged Ratchet for a silent debrief on the situation.

_-He is conscious but has obviously suffered some serious neurological damage that I had no way of detecting. Says his name is Redalert and the femme is someone named Scaleblade.-_

_-Redalert?-_

_-Yes.-_

_-Oh dear.-_

_-Yes. And he just asked for you. So this should prove to be interesting to say the least.-_

"Optimus. This is Redalert." Ratchet relayed allowed for his patient to hear. "He says he's a med-"

"Optimus-" Redalert interrupted. "What… nngh.. what is the status?"

Ratchet and Optimus exchanged glances before Optimus stepped forward and addressed the mech in question. "Status of what exactly Redalert?" he inquired.

Redalert suffered from a moment of temporary disbelief before he continued. "Primus, Optimus." He retaliated clearly irritated. "The battle-ssskkk… what is the status of the battle. …And where the frag is that Poly 49." He hissed and directed at Ratchet, all but glaring daggers at the mech as pain wreaked havoc on his body. At that Ratchet commed Wheeljack and streamed him the code that the mech had rattled off upon coming out of stasis in hopes that he could make sense of it.

"I'm afraid I don't know which battle you are referring to, soldier." Prime continued. "There haven't been any recently here. Have there been developments on Cybertron?"

Redalert stilled considerably and digested what he had heard while running internal diagnostics on Optimus' voice. Something was… off. "Wh-… what do you mean? Where are ssskkkshh we?" He couldn't suppress the strange feeling that began to swirl in his tanks.

Optimus threw a glance at Ratchet once more before focusing on Redalert once more. "We are on Earth… just as I have instructed to everyone in my absence on Cybertron." He explained, hoping to reignite some type of comprehensive memory from the mech.

His words hit Redalert like the heaviest weight he had ever felt. All in an instant he knew exactly what this was. Him and his comrades had experienced it not hours before this happened. Unicron was inside his mind and had plunged him into some sort of twisted dream reality like the monster had before. Unicron must have been trying to get some sort of information from him, their battle plans or weaponry, and was projecting this situation in order to extract what he wanted. He should have known. Redalert cursed himself inwardly for his stupidity for not realizing it all sooner. His patient next to him in the last state he saw her, the medic's incompetence and asking for 'maps' of his systems, his blurred vision, Optimus' distance and change in voice. It all made sense. And it was the only plausible explanation.

_-Hey Ratch'. I analyzed what you sent me. I traced the codes to certain elements. I'm not sure what the numbers are, maybe more advanced breakdowns and associations of those particular elements, but I was able to put together something on the basic levels. Want me to bring it down?-_

_-Wheelkack-_ Ratchet vented a sigh of relief. _–You are a life saver. Please. As soon as you can.-_

Redalert resigned to removing his attention from the mechs in front of him in an attempt to distance his mind from Unicron's trickery. Optimus and Ratchet stared at the mech awaiting a response only to be left hanging and confused.

Oprimus stepped closer to the medical berth. "Where you somewhere other than Cybertron before you got here?" To his dismay he was only met with silence. He glanced to Ratchet in concern and the medic moved to the monitors to make sure the mech hadn't slipped back into stasis. He shook his head at Optimus indicating that the mech as fully conscious and his vitals had not changed. Optimus frowned beneath his battle mask and tried again. "Can you tell me how it is you got here? The soldier who retrieved you said it looked like you came in through a space bridge portal."

* * *

><p>"Get back yah bunch ah rabid fiends!" Ironhide bellowed as he cleared the doorway for Wheeljack to get through. "Y'all should be ah'shamed of yer'selves."<p>

Wheeljack punched in the code to the medbay doors, careful to shield his concoction from prying eyes of onlookers. Once the door was opened just barely enough to let him slip through unscathed he did so, quickly closing and locking it and leaving Ironhide to continue his guarding.

Ratchet turned his attention to the newcomer and quickly made his way over to Wheeljack while Optimus continued to try and coax a response from the unresponsive Redalert. "Thank goodness you're here. It's a sedative for his systems," he said as he walked over to the medical supply cabinets and recovered an unused syringe. Filling it with as much of the substance as he could, he hurriedly made his way back over to his patient. "Redalert. I have the sedatives for you. I apologize for making you wait." He made to grab the mech's arm.

_-Let's hope this doesn't explode.-_

_-Hey!-_

_-Ratchet. Be nice.- _Optimus chided.

Ratchet smirking victory was quickly pulled away from him however as Redalert pulled his arm away and glared at Ratchet. "Don't. Touch me." He seethed.

Ratchet stared at the mech in shock, forcing words past speechlessness. "…but these are the sedatives you requested. You are in serious pain, you need this," he stated while grabbing the mech's arm once more before it was yanked away again.

"I said-sskkk _don't touch me_."

Ratchet frowned. "Don't force me to do this. I can and will pull rank over you if you resist medical attention that is needed. You need to relax and this is going to help. After this we can get started on trying to repair your systems together." He moved toward Redalert again, this time only to be met with a well-aimed, swinging fist to the face.

* * *

><p>Review please and thanks!<p>


	4. The White Knight is Talking Backwards

Thank you for the reviews! They definitely fuel me to write!

* * *

><p>Ratchet knew he really screwed up. That they all really screwed up. This was a whole lot more complicated than he wanted to believe. When you tried to look at everything from a logical, every day standpoint, this situation just didn't make any sense. But when you took a step back and started to look at other possibilities, all of the pieces started to click together and it was <em>terrifying<em>.

After being rather suddenly and violently punched in the face by a mech whom by all standards shouldn't even be online he knew he was missing something. After Optimus, Wheeljack, and Ironhide had helped him wrestle the mech back down and forcibly sedate him Ratchet decided he really needed to think. Rethink. _Everything_.

He started with the beginning. Sideswipe had said they came through what looked like a space bridge. The Decepticons had been quiet, which is not what would have happened if the Autobots had intercepted something of the con's doing. There were no demands for exchange of the two newcomers or any attacks on the base. Further investigation of the video feeds Sideswipe had been able to take before the two came crashing through revealed that the portal of sorts definitely did not look like anything the Decepticons had cooked up before.

Then there was the difference in his specs compared to the mech and the femme's. The differences were too large to ignore. Their armor was thicker, stronger, and their structures were sturdier, more battle-ready than his. It had taken 3 soldiers to hold down the mech before he could sedate him. If it took 3 mechs, one of them a Prime and another a battle-hardened warrior to hold down an _injured medic_, he didn't want to see what a warrior of their class was capable of. Furthermore, injuries that should have permanently maimed soldiers he knew, these two were recovering from, and recovering fast at that. The mech, Redalert, was almost completely functional and was working diligently to get the femme up to par as well.

The final piece that didn't fit was the stories Redalert kept relaying. He seemed like a competent mech. Somewhere deep inside, Ratchet liked to believe that anyone who perused a field in medicine was a stable being. Redalert had by all medical terms proved that. He was very obviously a great medic with how far he was getting with the femme so quickly. He was the epitome of logical while working the surgeon's knife and was quick, clean, and professional. But when he wasn't in the roll of the doctor and was continuously asked about where he had come from and about his background, he had replied with answers that just didn't make any fragging sense. He would go on about how he and the femme had been fighting side by side in an epic battle to save Cybertron from an outside menace and that Autobots and Decepticons had put their differences aside and started working together to save their home planet. It broke Ratchets spark to see someone whom was evidently knowledgeable believe in something so outlandish with every fiber of their being. Ultimately it began to shift Ratchet's perspective on what was going on.

Separately, all of the evidence was fragmented and preposterous, but when you put all three together the theories that came out of it where clear, concise, and horrifying. Such they were still just as outlandish, but they were starting to make sense. Wheeljack and Preceptor had began to catch on and theorize as well and came up with conclusions that were eerily similar to his. These transformers weren't from here. Not by a long shot.

Ratchet torn himself away from his musings and focused on the mech in front of him once more. Redalert was diligently working inside the femme's chasis and was close to completing all of the necessary repairs. He had kept the femme in stasis under heavy sedatives to keep her from onlining and undoing repairs in the process. "How much longer do you think?" He addressed the other medic.

"Not long now. Within the hour."

Ratchet nodded. Once the femme was online, maybe she could be able to make sense of Redalert's stories or relay information that didn't make him guess the very foundations of the universe. "Good. That's good." He paused. "Do you know the schematics of her armor? I could start some molds for you."

Redalert visibly stiffened. "No. No I don't."

"Oh." Ratchet mused. "I thought you would as her medic."

Redalert vented and frowned slightly. "She's… not one of my regular charges."

Ratchet's curiosity was peaked. "How so? Is she part of another unit?"

Redalert paused in his repairs before he straightened to look at Ratchet. His face was the exact picture of pure gravity. "You know how I told you that we were all working together in the battle?"

"Yes." Ratchet nodded and crossed his arms, sitting back slightly.

Redalert paused and tried to choose his next words as carefully as he could. He had avoided this subject so far because he knew it was only going to generate more uncertainty from those around him. "Scaleblade," he continued, "… is not an Autobot."

Ratchet nodded and hung on the edge of Redalert's as if waiting for more. When he didn't receive any more of an explanation the other's words started to sink in. Ratchet's optics shot from the femme on the medical berth to Redalert's visor. "Do you mean to tell me… that that femme is… a Decepticon?" He asked in a serious, yet unbelieving manner.

Redalert caught the condescending tone of Ratchet's voice and fixed him with a hard look. "Yes. And a damn good one at that." He held Ratchet's gaze for a few more moments before returning to his work on his patient.

Ratchet vented air and uncrossed his arms. This was ridiculous. "Redalert. Decepticons don't recruit femmes. They kill them. There is no way that-"

"Scaleblade: identification code 0091-763108-99867-001. Close combat specialist under the directive of the Decepticon high command, Melee Officer. Originally 6th in command by position, recently bumped up to 5th after the demise of their communications officer," Redalert rattled off as he continued to work. "Frankly I don't give a frag what Decepticons here do or don't do. Where I'm from they don't discriminate. And this femme is a deadly fighter. Underestimate that and it will get you killed." Redalert paused. "Again." He quietly muttered after the fact.

Ratchet narrowed his optics in a glare. "Excuse me?"

Redalert stopped his work again to direct Ratchet straightforwardly. "I said again." Redalert began to work and talk at the same time once more. "The team I work with had a Ratchet once. He was a great medic- probably the greatest Cybertron knew." Redalert looked up at Ratchet once more. "I'm his replacement."

Ratchet's face softened slightly, staring back at the mech in front of him. His energon lines felt oddly cold at digesting Redalert's words. It was clear by his tone and body language that he had seen and experienced trauma. At the same time though, this was war, there wasn't a single one of them onboard the Ark that hadn't been affected seriously in some form or another by the carnage. But there was something very different about hearing of your own demise, or at least the demise of a being someone believed you shared a name with.

Ratchet was silent for a while before choosing to speak more, his voice low. "How?" Redalert didn't need an explanation of the question.

"It was an accident," He stated, still focusing on the repairs of the femme in front of him. "He ran in to aid a fallen soldier and spooked a Decepticon." Redalert cycles a few vents before continuing. "Medics are off-limits on the battlefield no matter the faction, one of the rare honors of war that we've all still been upholding. The con tried to salvage the situation and save him, but it didn't work. Not all of us are medics after all." Redalerts voice trailed off at the end, vocals laced heavily with tired emotion. He continued to work in silence as Ratchet digested his words.

Ratchet looked to the side and stared somewhat blankly at nothing in particular, deep in thought. "We have a similar code here, though it's not always upheld." He paused. "As of late a lot of medics have been targeted as hostages and whatnot. Fieldwork has been getting more and more dangerous."

Redalert made a non-committal noise of acknowledgment before continuing. "I can't say I've seen that happen. Thankfully," he added. Ratchet smirked slightly before inhaling sharply, looking upward at the ceiling before focusing on Redalert once more.

"So can I ask who did it?"

In response Redalert casually motioned toward the femme under his knife.

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	5. And The Red Queen is Off With Her Head

Despite the disbelief that still hung over his head, Ratchet couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of his processor that maybe, just maybe, Redalert wasn't delusional. And with that thought came the conclusion that onlining the femme could potentially turn ugly or violent or a combination of the two. Before Redalert had a chance to reverse the sedatives, Ratchet called in Optimus, Prowl, and Ironhide. It sounded ridiculous, femme just simply couldn't be a Decepticon, let alone hold a title and rank that Redalert had relayed. But… it couldn't hurt to be prepared. Right?

"All of this is highly unnecessary." Redalert stated as he stared at the newcomers standing off to the side some ways away from the medical berths. "As I said before, she is dangerous, but we are in a treaty. She is an equal and is in no way to be treated like a criminal."

"If I recall," Ratchet began, "you turned violent as well within your few moments of first onlining here. We don't need a replay of that situation, this time with a knife in someone's throat." He gestured to the other three mechs in the bay. "They are here to make sure that doesn't happen. Besides if anyone needs to be here to be immediately debriefed on the situation it is Optimus and Prowl."

Redalert grimaced as he stared at his patient. "I suppose so." He paused. "But I still don't think you being here is a very good idea. You look a lot like him," he muttered as he referred to the deceased Ratchet of his world. He felt his chest constrict at the memory of his fallen teacher.

He moved to the monitors and sedative links connected inside the femme's chest cavity and slowly started to disconnect and reverse the medication to bring her out of stasis. He really hoped she didn't react negatively. Something like that would greatly hinder both of them in this… situation they were in. After he had recovered from being forcefully sedated the first time he fully onlined here, it didn't take long to figure out that this wasn't some trick of Unicron's and that he was in a solid reality and not his own mind. Well it was reality, but certainly not the one he was used to. He couldn't help but conclude that Unicron was involved regardless. They had rushed in to defend their home world without really any viable knowledge of their enemy's power and this situation was a testament to that.

As the medication was reversed Redalert carefully continued to monitor Scaleblade's vitals. Everything seemed to be normal and he hoped it stayed that way. Redalert rested a hand on her shoulder to give her a solid connect to reality. "Scaleblade…" he started. The room was met with silence for the first few clicks but a ragged hiss of air followed soon after. Redalert squeezed Scaleblade's shoulder gently and spoke again. "Are you with me Scaleblade?"

He was met with a groan and the room as a whole vented a sigh that none of them knew they were holding. Redalert smirked slightly. "Good morning sunshine. Come on soldier. I need you to fully online."

Scaleblade's faceplates downturned in an ugly grimace while she hissed more air through her vents before her optics slowly started to flicker online. She groaned again and shuttered her optics a few times in an attempt to focus them out of their hazy, post-stasis stage. She focused in on the mech standing over her. "…Red?" she responded haggardly, vocalizer rough from continued disuse.

Optimus and Prowl exchanged looks. She knew him as Redalert as well?

Redalert nodded as he disconnected the last of the cables from her chest before latching on the make-shift cover. "Good to have you back." And he wasn't exaggerating. Decepticon or not, she was facing the same situation and problems here that he was. When she was fully disconnected he helped to upright her as slowly as possible as to not send her systems into disorient. She grit her dente in a snarl as her joints ground together from discontinued use. As she was uprighted, Redalert stabilized her shoulders. Once he was sure she wasn't going to crash back down he helped to move her legs so she has sitting over the side of the medical berth. "How are you feeling?"

The perpetual grimace hadn't left her face as she stared with as unfocused gaze at nothing in particular. "…Heavy."

"You've been under a steady stream of some very strong sedatives for a while now. It's going to take a little time for them to wear off fully." Redalert moved both of his hands to the sides of her neck and began to slowly test the movements and range of her joints in and around her shoulders. Where Scaleblade would wince he in turn would lessen the force with which he moved.

"Where's Wheeljack…? He knows my schematics better."

The other occupants in the room exchanged glances once again.

"He's… not here." Redalert spoke carefully. "And besides. I've done all the repairs thus far so there is no reason for me to not see them all the way through."

Scaleblade nodded absent mindedly and kept her optics shuttered while Redalert continued his examination, processor fighting to focus out of the post-stasis haze. She grimaced. Her head felt so heavy. She pushed past Redalert and pulled off her helmet with a complete absence of grace and let it clatter down beside her on the medical berth before it fell to the floor with a resounding crash as her heat retention cables fell around her shoulders.

"Hey. Take is easy." Redalert chided firmly.

"Shut up." Scaleblade glared and ground out under clenched dente as her optics continued their effort to adjust to the lighting and processor fought bouts of vertigo.

Redalert frowned but put up with the crude treatment for the time being. He didn't want to argue and spur on some sort of remark that they would both live to regret due to their… circumstances. When he finished checking her joint rotation and movement he hesitated briefly before trying to privately hail her over his own com frequency and hoped that the others in the room couldn't pick up on it. To his relief she accepted his request and Ratchet and the others seemed to be completely oblivious.

**-**_You need to be made aware of some things_**.-**

Scaleblade made no physical sign of acknowledgement and otherwise seemed to be in the same withdrawn state but sent a brief shot of static through the com in reply. Redalert wasn't surprised, Decepticons were vigorously trained to never give anything away while in the company of an enemy, under penalty of death.

There wasn't any easy way of saying this**. –**_We are in a slightly hostile situation. I need to keep calm and follow my lead. Keep all reactions to a minimum_.-

Scaleblade locked optics with him and went vaguely rigid. Redalert attempted to keep the others distracted by keeping conversation going on the physical as well. "How are your vitals?" He inquired aloud.

Scaleblade seemed to catch on. She wasn't daft after all. "Taxed… but running efficiently..." –_What are you playing at, medic.-_

"Good. I am going to give you another reversal injection to try and get you up to speed, alright?" He moved away from her and filled a syringe of the medication he had been able to formulate together**. –**_Unicron did something. I'm not sure what exactly. But from what I have been able to gather, we are in a sort of paralleled dimension of some kind. I thought it was a mind trick of Unicron's like before, but this is different.-_

Scaleblade stared blankly at the wall on the opposite side of the med bay that was directly in front of her as Redalert prepared the syringe. **–**_How so.-_

**-**_Do not react make any outward reactions to what I am about to say. We are not on Cybertron anymore. We are back on Earth.-_ Redalert paused. **–**_And the Autobots here that are caring for us are not any that you or I know. They seem to be… other versions of those that we have interacted with.-_ He moved back over in front of Scaleblade. "This is going to sting." He stated before injecting the serum into a main energon line in her neck.

Scaleblade outwardly hissed and grumbled slightly. **–**_Is that who is standing behind me?-_

Redalert retracted the syringe and disposed of it. **–**_Some of them. Yes.-_

Scaleblade was silent. This certainly wasn't what she had expected to wake up to. In all honestly she hadn't expected to wake up at all. Any medic she knew would have walked away from the injuries she sustained. And after that all she could remember was white-hot light and then nothing. But onlining to the Autobot medic, of all mechs, telling her about alternate dimensions was not at the top of her list. It sounded more like something Cyclonus would conjure up after having one too many a drink. Although, after facing Unicron, she had to admit that what the medic was saying actually sounded_ saner_ than what they had previously been through. She shuttered her optics a few times as the fog in her processor began to lift. This was going to get interesting, she could feel it.

Redalert looked over Scaleblade's shoulder at the others standing a few paces away and nodded for them to make their presences known physically, seeing as how Scaleblade had already sensed them in their proximity.

Optimus Prime acknowledged Redalert and made his was closer to the two. He maintained a set distance in an attempt to seem as least threatening as possible. Optimus had always come off rather intimidating to femmes due to his stature and reputation, often to his dismay. He never wanted to frighten anyone- it just wasn't in him. He rounded the medical berth and made his presence known while trying to seem as small as possible.

Scaleblade stared at him blankly. It was quite obvious who he was supposed to be. After facing an enemy in battle for eons, you presumably know what they look like. He looked a little like Optimus Prime. But that was _not_ him.

**-**_This has to be a joke, right?-_ She inquired to Redalert, unease settling in her tanks.

**-**_Afraid not.-_

Optimus made a small step forward acknowledging Scaleblade. "I am relieved to see you online and functioning, soldier." Scaleblade's optics narrowed slightly and she glared sideways at Redalert. Just how much information had that medic given these imposters. "My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots and commander of this regiment." When all he got was a half-glare in return he spoke again. "You are Scaleblade, as I've been told?"

Redalert could see Scaleblade slowly tensing as though gearing up to attack or defend herself, something only detectable after years on the battlefields. "…Yes." Her left hand slowly and idly drifted towards the handlebar on her left hip. Redalert quickly intervened, moving slightly closer.

**-**_Don't. Do not do something both of us will live to regret.-_

Scaleblade's hand stalled, inches away from the hidden weapon, before slowly returning to her side. Redalert found himself thanking Primus that the others in the room were blissfully unaware of the unholy terror that was almost unleashed on them in that moment.

Optimus paused, unsure of what to do with the curt answer. "I would like to introduce you to my second in command, Prowl." Prime motioned to Prowl with his right hand and the mech made his way over to stand next to him. Prowl nodded at Scaleblade and received the same glare in return. "We need your help with a few things-"

"And what makes you think I'm going to help_ you_." She cut in.

"Scaleblade-"Redalert hissed quietly.

Optimus blinked in mild surprise at the hostility, "Well we need your help concerning Redalert and yourself. It seems there are some contradictions in what he has been able to relay to us and what information we already have."

Scaleblade shifted a glance to Redalert before focusing on the two in front of her once more. She made no move to say or do anything, prompting Optimus once more. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Scaleblade stared at this 'Optimus'. The room was silent before she spoke, voice cold and dripping with venom. "And why should I answer that?"

Redalert shuttered his optics and sighed quietly. This was not going well.

Optimus frowned, thankful that his battle mask hid his face. Prowl took this as his opportunity to speak. "There is no need for hostility here. We are trying to sort this matter out for the better of both of you. Now. What is the last thing you remember seeing."

Scaleblade made no motion to move or speak, her glare darkening. Ratchet could practically feel the animosity rolling off of her, still standing behind the medical berth with Ironhide. It was becoming quite clear to the Autobots in the room where this was headed. Ratchet felt his tanks knot up, she certainly had the air of a frigid Decepticon warrior. He had found himself hoping that wouldn't have been the case.

"I do not have the need to speak to the likes of you," the femme offered harshly.

"Unfortunately you do." Optimus stated rather forcefully, straightening his frame and shoulders. Being timid wasn't getting anywhere with this femme. "Like it or not you are under the custody of the Autobots and are subject to my authority. If you can tell us what we need to know peacefully then I see no need for dissidence. However I can and will place you under arrest if that is what it takes to get a Decepticon to speak."

Scaleblade went rigid at the word 'Decepticon', optics widening slightly. Once over her momentary shock, she turned to Redalert seethingly. "You told them?" she hissed.

Redalert stared back and raised his arms in defense. "It was going to come out eventually."

Scaleblade narrowed her optics in both vexation and disbelief. "So let me get this straight," she started with a low growl, progressively getting louder as she continued. "You told the possibly hostile mechs that you don't know and think are from an alternate dimension that the bleeding femme on the table was a Decepticon?" She yelled. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

_-They have been speaking on their private frequencies._**-** Prowl stated. His scanners had picked up a minute change in the waves when she onlined but didn't think anything of it at the time.

_-Wait.-_ Ratchet commed amongst those in the room. **–**_How does she know human slang..?_

"I-" Redalert started.

"Apparently nothing! You have no idea what they would have done- what they will do! 'It would have come out eventually.' You are really daft for a medic." She continued to rage.

Redalert bristled. "Daft? This daft medic saved your life! If it weren't for me you'd still be a vegetable lying on that table!" He bellowed back.

"Don't you dare hold that against me." Scaleblade replied darkly. "You are the one that chose to repair me. I told you to leave!"

"I probably should have! Now look where it got me!"

Scaleblade growled and lunged at Redalert, but her movements were made slow and clumsy by her injuries. Ironhide reacted like lightning and grabbed the femme before her fist could connect with Redalert's face, restraining her. Prowl moved in front of Redalert to hold back the mech and block off the two's view of each other.

"That is enough!" Prime cut in. This was getting out of had too quickly. "I will have you both locked in the brig if this continues, regardless of faction." He indicated pointedly as he narrowed his optics at the two in front of him.

Scaleblade growled again and made to twist out of Ironhide's hold, only to have him effectively twist her arm the other way and causing her to yelp in pain as her underused joints ground together audibly. Redalert cringed and instantly switched back into medic mode, calling out in distress. "Careful!" He vented and shifted as his processor began to calm down. "Careful. Easy on her systems." He repeated quietly again as he rubbed his weary face with his hand.

Ironhide eased his hold and Scaleblade wrenched her arm free viciously, hunched over in fatigue as her systems fought to catch up with all of the sudden, rapid movement. Ratchet also felt his medical instincts kick in full gear and he moved for the first time to assist her. As he tried to steady and support her shoulders, Scaleblade looked at him for the first time since onlining.

And screamed.

* * *

><p>TBC, review please!<p> 


	6. Go ask Alice, I think she'll know

Optimus Prime raced to the command center after receiving the panicked hail from Redalert. _His team's_ Redalert. He commed Prowl but it seemed he had also already been contacted by the anxiety stricken security officer. As he neared the doorway, the Arc's alarm systems began to sound. Optimus started slightly in surprise and after a pause to wonder just what could spark a full blown emergency in the middle of the night before he quickened his pace and rounded around the corner into the command center. When he breached the doorway, he found his security officer in a fit of unease as he directed the weary soldiers around him that had already made it to Teletran-1.

"Redalert," he boomed to get the distracted mech's attention, "What exactly is going on?" He made his way over to the slowly increasing group of mechs and made a mental note of all who had already responded. He made sure to open his com to Prowl so his second in command could be debriefed on the situation as it unfolded.

"Prime," Redalert jumped and made his way over to his commander as quickly as he could. "We have had a serious security breach. This is just absolutely ridiculous! I saw this coming. But did anyone listen to me? No!" He relayed, arms flailing.

"What is the problem, Redalert." Optimus said as he tried to get his security officer to focus.

"Problem? We wouldn't have a problem if you had listened to me and locked up that Decepticon like I told you!"

_On no._

"Redalert calm down before you blow another fuse," Sunstreaker interjected.

Redalert sputtered indignantly before redirecting his attention to Optimus. "She broke into our weapons vault! And now she's _gone_!"

"Gone?"

"Yes! Gone! Now I have no way of tracking her down! Telletran-1 doesn't recognize_their_ energy signatures. Who knows what information she has gotten away with!" Redalert vented.

"I don't think she was after information, Red." a voice cut in from the doorway. Everyone in the room turned their attention to Ratchet as he entered solemnly.

"How would you know? What else would a Decepticon be after?"

Ratchet sighed and shook his head. "Because she also stole two pallets of medical-grade energon, various medical supplies, and the elemental compounds that the other medic gave us." He paused. "According to my monitors it was all taken about 2 hours ago."

Ratchet stared at the floor some feet in front of him. He didn't care about the supplies, if someone needed something he would always be happy to provide, within reason. He only worried as to what would spark such a move from the femme. In the two months the two foreigners had been here, she had volunteered to help in the med bay. Whether it was to not be split up from her other comrade or some strange form of repentance she was trying to seek for her past actions against a medic he wasn't sure, although he was leaning towards the latter. After all, Redalert spent some but very little time in the med bay, usually opting to work with Wheeljack and Perceptor on developing theories on how to get the pair back to their home world. But she had been a good worker, helping with stock and organization- something he never had time for. She was mostly silent, especially around him, but hadn't made any signs of an impending betrayal.

"See she is a fugitive! I told you that no Decepticon should ever be trusted!"

"Please calm yourself Redalert. I am sure we will figure out what is going on." Optimus turned to address his soldiers. "She couldn't have gotten very far. We will spread out in teams on nearby roads and highways in search of anything abnormal-"

"I don't think that will be necessary."

All optics turned to the other Redalert, who was now standing in the doorway not far from Ratchet. "I think I know where she might be." All stared at him scrutinizingly before Optimus stepped forward to listen to the newcomers words.

* * *

><p>Scaleblade cursed as she sped as fast as her engines would push her. Her peds pounded into the alien dirt as she ran, her alt mode having been rendered useless with the loss of her wings. But she knew she was heading in the right direction. She could feel it.<p>

For days now she had sensed some sort of shifting in the atmosphere around them. Everyone else she interacted with seemed to be completely oblivious to the changes. She thought a few times she caught Redalert tuning into it, but he seemed to quickly dismiss it as soon as he would pick up on it, being so focused on all of his theories. She tried to speak to him about it, but there weren't many words she could muster to relay what she could feel. Scaleblade thought she was losing her mind at first but now she just _knew_. The air was charged, smelt and tasted like laser fire and smoke. She kept feeling things that she shouldn't like painful ghosts of her previous injuries and shifts in the air around her. It was like echoes of the battle they had faced in the not too distant past. Once she had made that connection, it was all she needed. She knew exactly what was going on, it was happening again.

Her spark pounded madly as she raced down dirt paths, sending rocks and debris flying in her wake. The thought of possibly seeing another familiar face sent her processor reeling in anticipation, let alone when she fancied the idea that maybe they could actually get out of this place.

By the time she made it to the ravine, the gate in the sky was already closing.

* * *

><p>Redalert mentally cursed Scaleblade as they hightailed it to the drop zone that himself and Scaleblade had been dumped through. She just started one krell of a mess that he wasn't sure he'd be able to fix. Despite her eventual complacency and obedience the others could not bring themselves to give her an inch of trust. He had put himself out on the line several times for Scaleblade since they had landed here, and with each time he did it he could tell the other Autobots around him were losing favor, respect, and trust in him. She probably just sealed their fates with this stunt.<p>

But on the other hand, if she was right…

He revved his engine and picked up his pace, pulling just ahead of Optimus Prime and Prowl. The other two followed suit and matched his speed and gusto with precision.

* * *

><p>"You bloody fragger. Of course you couldn't be in one piece. That would be far too easy!" Scaleblade stated quietly as her vocalizer cracked with panicked static, almost elbow deep in the mech's chassis below her. She was very gracious that the mech in question made no response to her disrespectful cussing. She fought furiously to clamp down on severed lines. She rapidly connected emergency lines to his vital systems and raised one cube of the medical grade energon to get the flow started and pumping into the downed mech's lines. Once the flow was started she set to repairing as much of the armor she could. Megatron growled deeply in his chest and pushed forward. Scaleblade shoved him back down, only able to do so because of his extremely weakened state. An unsettling feeling rose in her chassis. Not only was he in horrible shape… but what did that mean for back home? The last thing she remembered from their world was facing death. She could only conclude that Megatron had must have been in a similar situation.<p>

The Decepticons were now without a leader.

If Megatron had fallen, did Prime as well?

Or was he betrayed?

Was Unicron winning?

Was Cybertron gone?

The questions and scenarios wouldn't stop running through her head and she fought to keep her focus on repairing her downed leader. Megatron had resigned to lay in silence as his soldier repaired him, staring blankly and distantly at the sky above them. Scaleblade hooked up another energon feed and filled a syringe with the pain relieving compound that Wheeljack had cooked up before plunging the needle into Megatron's main energon line in his neck. Megatron grunted but made no other sign of acknowledgement as Scaleblade continued repairs.

* * *

><p>Redalert was the first to pull up to the ravine, transforming and jogging the last few paces to its edge. What he saw made his processor stall.<p>

Oh _fuck_.

Redalert stared in shock and awe. This was more than he could handle. This was not going to end well _at all, _but he had to try and salvage the situation before it spun so out of control that there was no saving it. He backpedaled as the others arrived and rose up his arms in an attempt to keep them at bay. His actions on spurred Optimus and Prowl to move fasted and push past him. They stepped up to the ravine's edge and stared at the scene below.

Optimus turned to Redalert. "I'm guessing you know who that is with Scaleblade?" He questioned.

"Uhh- yes, but-"

Optimus turned to the rest of the crew, mainly directing his attention to Redalert and Firstaid. "Lets get down there and help them." At his orders, the Autobots present began to descend into the ravine.

"No!" Redalert cried out. "You don't understand! You'll only startle them!" He pushed his way over to Optimus. "You have to keep your distance. This is a delicate situation."

Optimus stared at Redalert in confusion before the sound of a blaster filled the air and a string of curses soon thereafter.

* * *

><p>Scaleblade glared with the coldness only a battle hardened soldier could muster as the barrel of the blaster she held smoked in discharge. The Autobots that had been on the other end of the shot had dove to the ground only moments before the kill shot would have landed. In an instant Scaleblade had switched from repairing to protectively standing over her fallen leader, blaster in hand.<p>

Ironhide focused in on the femme as the smoke cleared. "Er. Is that one ah ma guns…?"

"Yes." Prowl deadpanned.

"Aww slaggit!" Ironhide cursed. He knew he shouldn't have left any of his weapons in that vault!

Redalert rushed forward to try and diffuse the situation. Scaleblade swiftly trained the blaster at him, glare as unmoving as her battle stance over Megatron. Redalert stalled but raised up his hands to show he was unarmed. "Scaleblade. Put the gun down."

The femme made no signs of backing down and only stared at him unflinchingly. She's be damned if any Autobot got near Megatron in his injured state.

"Scaleblade. Put. The gun. Down. We are only here to help." Redalert cautiously stepped forward once, not unnoticed by Scaleblade. She barred her fangs and narrowed her optics even more. Redalert stopped moving again and chose to speak instead. "You know me. I wouldn't dream of hurting either of you, especially wounded. Let me help."

The femme pushed the gun forward more in a threatening motion, not once moving from her protective stance over her leader.

* * *

><p>To be continued.<p> 


	7. Men on the Chessboard

Thank you for the reviews and favorites! Sorry it's taken so long to update!

I hope you enjoy.

* * *

><p>Redalert remained frozen, his hands in the air, staring into Scaleblade's optics and trying not to focus on the barrel of the gun pointed at him. Her face was her usual cold and hard expression but it was clear by her optics she was panicking.<p>

"Scaleblade," he spoke, his tone trying to reflect a sense of calm. It seemed to do no good, the femme's grip on the trigger only tightening. He needed to diffuse this situation. He doubted he would be able to fix their relations with this world's autobots after this, but maybe he could at least stop any extra bloodshed.

"Scaleblade," he started again, "put the gun down. Let me help him." Redalert paused in-between his sentences, keeping his voice low. Scaleblade's grip on the blaster remained unchanging. Redalert dared a few steps forward to close the distance between the two of them, lowering his voice more so only she could hear.

"You know I'm a medic. I'm not going to hurt him, that goes against everything I stand for," Redalert continued. "You can still stand guard. Please. Just let me help."

The femme continued to stare him down before her face faltered slightly for a second and she moved, giving the barrel of the gun a quick nudge to the side, indicating for him to move around her to her leader's location. Redalert nodded in acknowledgment before moving slowly as to not spook the already tense Decepticon, making his way over to the downed tyrant. Scaleblade retrained her gaze and blaster on the autobots before her, face unflinching.

Redlaert got to his knees as he reached Megatron's side and began to examine his wounds. As he scanned the damages, his takes began to churn. This wasn't something they could all walk away from. This was the leader of the fragging Decepticons, dumped injured into the laps of the enemy and Redalert posed as the only liaison between the two forces. He couldn't handle this. There was no way any of them would be given quarter after this, not if he failed at trying to calm things and set them straight. If he couldn't get all of them to get along with each other, no scratch that. If you couldn't make sure _no one ended up dead_ there would be no chance of them ever being able to work and figure out a way to get back to their home world.

He shifted his thoughts back into medical mode as he dressed the wounds Scaleblade had not gotten to. _She's more skilled than she lets on_, he thought to himself. But then again, most Decepticons knew that if they couldn't patch themselves up from time to time they'd die. Medics were getting fewer and farther in-between, especially in their ranks. There had always been the unspoken rule that medics were off-limits on the battlefield but mistakes and accidents had still dwindled numbers. Like what had happened to Ratchet.

Redalert's processor stalled slightly as he inspected the Decepticon leader's right shoulder. His tanks dropped more, which he didn't think would have been possible at this point. He had to steer all of his self control to not focus on the scuffs of blue and red paint he found there. He could feel a hot spike of adrenaline surge through his body at the thought of what that meant. Their leaders had been fighting prior to Megatron being dropped here, and that meant the truce was null and void.

_What the hell is going on there_ Redalert mused. He forced his hands from shaking, from rage or fear he wasn't sure, and set to work on the injuries in front of him. As he began he noted that while battered, Megatron was in much better shape than Scaleblade and himself had arrived in. It was obvious he had been fighting, but Redalert doubted he had been on the receiving end of the same laser fire that he and Scaleblade had been delt. He glanced up at the Decepticon's face, noting a blank and vacant expression. _Does he even know what's going on?_ Red immediately shook his head and retracted his previous mental inquiry. Of course he didn't, it took him and the femme two weeks to wake up, and even longer to realize the full extent of their situation. It would no doubt take time for Megatron to digest everything, though certainly not as long as it took them. He was still functioning and conscious, despite his distant optics. And for some reason none of that served to comfort Redalert.

Megatron was dangerous. He was cunning. And while there was no doubt in Redalert's mind that he would want out of this world just as much as the rest of them, eons of fighting Megatron on the battlefield had taught the Autobots that if he could take advantage of any situation he wouldn't hesitate to do so. And this was all one hell of a situation.

"Red." A low hiss brought him out of his head once more. Redalert turned slightly to look over at Scaleblade and was disturbed to find her stance had changed. She was crouched a bit, shoulders tense as if expecting to brace for an impact while her optics scanned the sky. She picked up on something. Redalert turned his optics upwards and turned his audios, scanning the static above them.

"Red." Scaleblade repeated, a very distinct edge of panic now in her voice. Just as she finished speaking he heard it. It was low, still a ways out, but unmistakably the rumble of jet engines moving in on their location.

Redalert looked back at Scaleblade and their optics locked. In an instant the panic was shared. Jet engines either meant humans or Decepticons, neither of which meant well for any of them. There was no way they would be able to hide from any incoming humans in this canyon, their species presence would undoubtedly be compromised. And if it was the other option, well, Redalert knew that if Scaleblade, the war hardened melee officer was spooked it was most likely a good idea for you to be too.

Redalert turned to warn the Autobots standing near by, but it seemed that just at that moment someone else had picked up on the incoming as well. Their second in command Prowl had silenced everyone with a hand in the air, all optics turning to him before he directed a finger to the sky.

At his cue the soldiers in the ravine snapped into battle mode, and for the first time to Redalert, they actually looked like warriors. In their time quartering with these Autobots, he had never seen them face any sort of battle excursion. The large difference in his and Scaleblade's frames and armor compared to their hosts was exponential and he couldn't help but think that these Autobots didn't look sturdy enough to be in the middle of wartime. Scaleblade, a small femme by his world's standards, almost stood at level with most these mechs and was much more sturdily armored. Redalert himself was easily a full head taller than all of them here.

The Autobot team began to spread out slightly, all of them getting into a stance not unlike the crouch Scaleblade was still in. The mechs almost seemed to move in time, silently communicating with each other with only looks and hand gestures, a testament Redalert thought, to how easily monitored the air frequencies must have been here.

Redalert was snapped from his observations as the screams of jet engines grew closer at an alarming rate, sounding just over the southeast ridge of the ravine. The ravine itself blocked the view of the sky far out, only adding to the ominous screeching as the enemy approached. The medic instinctually moved closer to his patient in an attempt to shield his wounds from any further imminent attack or debris. He temporarily clamped severed lines to stop any bleeding and sparking that was left, carefully but quickly preparing to transport Megatron out of the incoming fray.

In what seemed like mere seconds after their only warning of sounds in the sky, a squadron of fighter jets flew over the edge of the ravine, flying halfway out before veering upwards and turning back, no doubt scouting out the best layout for an attack. "Seekers!" Ironhide bellowed, yelling overtop of the engines' whirring. The Autobots continued to fan out to counter the attack as the sound of jets approached them once more.

Three seekers, red, blue, and purple in color careened up and over the ravine's ledge, not hesitating to rein laser fire down on the bots below. The trio was quickly followed by more fliers, a few more jets of an assortment of colors and other mechs, fully transformed and flying in formation behind.

Redalert hooked his arms underneath Megatron's shoulders and brought his hands around to grasp his torso before pulling backward in an attempt to rapidly extricate the Decepticon leader from the middle of the open battlefield. If he could just drag him over to bottom of the ledge he had climbed down, behind some of the Autobots, him and Megatron might have stood a better chance at not accruing any more additional injuries. Redalert bent his knees in a low crouch to get the best momentum before heaving backwards, Megatron's much larger frame and weight proving to be a challenge. He had only gotten a couple of yards back when laser fire hit him in his left shoulder, sending him spinning and skidding into the dirt, pain ripping through his arm.

The medic coughed alien dirt out of his mouth as he shoved himself onto his hands and knees before turning slightly and looking up to see where the attack had come from. While scanning the scene before him to identify the assailant he noticed that most of the battlefield had gone quiet, many of the mechs of both opposing factions staring at him incredulously. A gleam of silver caught his optic and he looked at the source. Redalert easily identified the silver mech at the top of the ridge as what must have been this world's one and only Megatron. While the leaders shared nothing in physical traits at a glance, the smoldering hate-filled optics were exactly the same.

That and the monstrous cannon attached to the Decepticon's arm was a dead giveaway. Redalert noted that the cannon was actually smoking, cooling from a recent discharge.

Oh.

Redalert spared a fleeting glance at his shoulder, noting a slight char across his armor but no serious damage. From the looks he was getting he gathered that the damage should have been much worse. The thought made sense, especially if he weighed a similar scenario of facing the Decepticon tyrant's cannon of his own world. Had he been on the receiving end of a shot from the Megatron he knew, he would be lucky if he even had an arm afterwards.

Redalert snapped his attention from the smoking end of the fusion cannon up to the silver Megatron's face, which was in an almost amusing state of shock. The expression changed quickly however, the leader's face twisting into an ugly display of rage.

"Decepticons!" the silver mech bellowed. "ATTACK!"


End file.
